Get orf my domain

Call it dirty tricks, call it "creative thinking" - but everyone's at it. Even as the Conservatives launch an orange assault on Lib Dem policy at LibDemPolicy.com, a Tory candidate has admitted buying up web domains containing the name of his Lib Dem opponent, the home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten, and redirecting the visitors to his own website.

George Hollingbery, the Conservative candidate for Winchester, registered markoaten.co.uk and markoaten.org. "I'm not fighting dirty," he told the Southern Daily Echo. "This is just creative thinking for a general election. He should have registered his name."

Mr Hollingbery has seen the error of his ways. The offending domains now lead to Mr Oaten's own site, MarkOaten.com. "He had already decided that he wouldn't do it any more," said a Conservative campaign spokesman. "He had already decided that because his Liberal Democrat opponent was being so reasonable about this cheeky tactic he felt it was timely to bring it to an end."

Very magnanimous. But the story doesn't end there. Winchester constituents who are unsure how to spell Mr Hollingbery's name are likely to end up at GeorgeHollingberry.com, where the candidate introduces himself as a "cheesy grinning conservative" who likes "nothing better than stealing other candidates' names for websites". Anyone wishing to pursue the matter further may like to know that Georgehollingbery.org.uk appears to be free. Very remiss of Mr Hollingbery.